China’s Beijing Auto Show spotlights AI-driven EVs as automakers seek to revive weak domestic demand

“We’re the ‘king of the alleyways.’ Our next throne will be in humanoid robots and flying cars,” said He Xiaopeng, chairman of XPeng Motors.

At the 2026 Beijing International Motor Show (Auto China 2026) on April 24 at the Capital International Exhibition Center in Beijing’s Shunyi district, crowds of reporters packed the booth of XPeng, often called China’s Tesla, to see the world debut of its new SUV, the GX. About 200 journalists gathered at the display.

XPeng said the GX uses four in-house AI chips and a second-generation VLA (Vision-Language-Action) system to deliver Level 4 autonomous-driving capability that can recognize and judge situations on its own. “Autonomous driving is no longer just for early adopters,” He said. “We’re moving into everyday life, from apartment underground parking lots to crowded shopping centers.”

When He showed video of the second-generation VLA system, the audience reacted loudly. The footage showed the vehicle navigating a chaotic night market and narrow alleys clogged with illegally parked cars. It also appeared to read building signs and words such as “entrance/exit” to make decisions. In one scene, a kitten lay in the road grooming itself; the vehicle hesitated, then edged slightly over the lane line to avoid it.

He said advanced autonomous driving is evolving from a feature people “use” into a must-have that drives purchases. He said XPeng aims to create new demand and “actively break through” weak domestic consumption by promoting autonomous-driving technology focused on safety, especially for mothers in their 60s and older. He added that a second version of the second-generation VLA, which he described as learning by recognizing voice across the full driving route rather than relying on memory-based systems, will be unveiled in May and would mark the start of “mass-market autonomous driving.”
At Auto China 2026, which runs through May 3, Chinese automakers rolled out a wave of AI-equipped vehicles as they look for ways to overcome a sharp domestic slowdown. The show, themed “Future of Intelligence,” drew global brands including Hyundai Motor, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and the Volkswagen Group, along with more than 100 local companies such as BYD Group, Geely Auto Group, Chery Automobile Group, Xiaomi, XPeng and Nio.

A representative of Li Auto said the government’s new energy vehicle strategy is shifting from rapid expansion to higher-quality growth, intensifying competition among local companies. With AI integrated into vehicles, the person said, autonomous driving and infotainment are improving, and charging and operating systems have also advanced. As a result, the representative said, a 1,500-kilometer driving range has become standard and a 2,500-kilometer era could be next.

Geely Auto Group, which is preparing to enter the Korean market in the first half of this year, built one of the largest booths. Under the concept of “embodied intelligence,” it presented new-energy strategy vehicles from Zeekr, Lynk & Co and Galaxy, along with a bipedal robot called “Eva,” smart city initiatives and a methanol ecosystem strategy.

A key draw was the “EVA Cab,” described as China’s first robotaxi-only prototype. Geely said the vehicle applies a “quantum-level” AI architecture and is a Level 4 robotaxi that has completed preparations for mass production. After a year of pilot operations in Hangzhou and Suzhou, it is set for a full launch starting in 2027.

Zeekr and Lynk & Co also highlighted new models they said improve driving range, charging time, fuel efficiency and driver safety through AI. Zeekr strengthened its luxury lineup with the new 009, 8X and 9X. The company said the 8X, using a 900-volt high-voltage system and a three-motor electric drivetrain, reaches a peak output of 1,030 kW and accelerates from 0 to 100 kph in the 2.96-second range, calling it the “world’s fastest hybrid SUV.”

Lynk & Co’s electric sport sedans, the 10+ and 10, due to be released in May, use a 900-volt system and a 95 kWh “golden battery,” which the company said enables ultra-fast charging equivalent to 2 kilometers of driving per second. A Geely Auto Group official said the AI ecosystem technologies unveiled at the show would help the company evolve from an automaker into a global intelligent mobility company.
BYD, through its brands including Denza, Yangwang and Formula Bao, also underscored its ambition to lead China’s new-energy strategy. BYD drew attention with a display that placed the Denza “Z9 GT” and Formula Bao’s “Tai 3” inside an icebox so visitors could gauge charging time in extreme cold. The icebox was lowered to minus 35 degrees Celsius, leaving a thin layer of ice on the vehicles, but BYD said its second-generation Blade Battery charged from 10% to 70% in under five minutes.

Amid the push by Chinese automakers, Hyundai Motor promoted its electric vehicle, the Ioniq V. The Ioniq V is the production model of the previously unveiled concept car “Venus” and is the first China-focused model under Hyundai’s Ioniq brand. Hyundai said it will add an SUV model around the first half of next year and introduce 20 new models by 2030. Jang Jae-hoon, vice chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, told reporters at the company’s booth, “We will learn a lot and grow in China,” adding, “It is the toughest market, but we will rise again in China and create success.”



* This article has been translated by AI.

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